An Anniverary Milestone

By luigi_pagano

Tue, 30 Aug 2022
  • 342 reads
2 comments
 

Two-hundred and twenty-five years;
that's how old Mary Shelley would be,
today, if she were alive, but no one
is that old, Methuselah excepted.

Quite honestly I didn't remember it
but I don't believe I was expected
to recall this lady's birthday date
even though I am known to collect

what some call useless information.
Yet gathering facts and figures
is, partly, a personal memory test
and a thirst for general knowledge

some of which one learns at college
and some at the university of life.
I recall that she wrote “Frankenstein”,
inspired, it is said, by a nightmare.

This novel is a favourite of mine
and I should have been more aware
that such an anniversary milestone
ought to be cause for celebration.

 

 

© Luigi Pagano 2022

Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Historical Fiction
Biography

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I've been wondering recently why there is a genre 'historical fiction' not just 'history'. I know there is a 'biography' section. 'Historical fiction' could apply to fiction written a long time ago I suppose like her stories, but if writing about a person's life as here, and as you often do, surely, though there may be some deviation from accuracy, it is encapsulating history, so 'historical non-fiction'? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

You have raised these points before and if I remember well I agreed that the list of genres is not really satisfactory and could be misleading especially in regard to historical fiction and biography. I even questioned the usefulness of using categories.

This is what Wikipedia says

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction

“An essential element of historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners, social conditions and other details of the depicted period. Authors also frequently choose to explore notable historical figures in these settings, allowing readers to better understand how these individuals might have responded to their environments. “

As for biography. I don't write about a person's life, I simply refer to episodes or events that relate to him or her and therefore not strictly 'biography' but 'biographical notes.

If I used 'miscellaneous' it would cover a multitude of sins but no one would be any the wiser. Anyway thanks for highlighting the deficiency . Perhaps somebody will pick up the cudgel.

Luigi x